Warner, Maxwell blast Australia home

David Warner and Glenn Maxwell were involved in a record partnership which spurred Australia to a last-ball victory over South Africa in the second Twenty20 International at the Wanderers Stadium on Sunday (March 6).Chasing South Africa’s 204 for 7, Australia reached 205 for 5 off the final ball of the game to win by five wickets and level the three-match series, setting up a decider in Cape Town on Wednesday.Australia was in serious strife at 32 for 3 after 5.4 overs after being set an imposing target, but Warner (77) and Maxwell (75) smashed the bowling around in a world record fourth-wicket stand of 161 that came off 87 balls."They batted with great composure and played some great cricket shots," said Steven Smith, the Australian captain. "They summed up the situation really well."Faf du Plessis, the South African captain, admitted: "That partnership blew us away. There are small margins when two teams are playing good cricket. There were one or two things in the field that we could have done better. Two full tosses towards the end cost us." The full tosses, sent down by Chris Morris and Dale Steyn, were called no-balls for height, giving the batsmen free hits.Australia seemed to be cruising home when the match burst to life. Maxwell was caught off the fifth ball of the 19th over and Warner was then yorked by Kagiso Rabada off the first ball of the final over.

James Faulkner and Mitchell Marsh, however, held their nerve to steer the side home. With two needed off the last ball, Marsh stroked Rabada into the pitch and back over his head for the winning runs.Warner was named the man of the match for his 77 off 40 balls with six fours and five sixes, while Maxwell's career-best 75 came off 43 balls with seven fours and three sixes.Du Plessis had earlier driven an aggressive South African batting performance, hitting 79 off 41 balls after the host was sent in to bat.Faulkner was brilliant for Australia, with three for 28 in four overs of left-arm seam, even as most of his bowling colleagues copped heavy punishment.South Africa's approach from the start suggested that it wasn’t sure how much was a good total at a traditionally batting-friendly ground. A succession of batsmen played big shots, scored quickly and got out, while du Plessis played more circumspectly. He, however, finished in style with two sixes and two fours off the first four balls of the last over, bowled by John Hastings, before he was caught in the deep. Du Plessis hit five sixes and five fours in his innings.